Author Grady Green has just gotten the biggest news of his life: his new novel is a New York Times bestseller. The very same night his wife Abby mysteriously goes missing while talking with him on the phone on her drive home. Still devastated and aimless a year later and unable to write, his agent Kitty - Abby's godmother - suggests he go to a quiet, idyllic island off the coast of Scotland to see if that will help inspire him to write again.

Welcome to the Isle of Amberley - a place so perfectly defined by the title of this book and one that might be giving me nightmares for the next few days! One friend described it and its residents as giving Stepford Wives vibes, and I'd absolutely agree with that, but for me it also had shades of the 70's folk horror movie The Wicker Man, ironically also set on a Scottish island.

The constantly changing weather, the folklore, the ferry that mysteriously never seems to have an outgoing schedule, the pounding sea, the towering trees and forest, the residents whose smiles belie their suspicious stares and the writing cabin atop a cliff's edge once inhabited by another male author, now deceased, all inundated my senses with an undercurrent of foreboding from the moment Grady steps onto the island.

From the get-go you know something isn't right, and the unease stuck with me through every moment of my listen, narrated expertly by the wonderful Richard Armitage, with a few chapters by Tuppence Middleton. The sound effects of the waves crashing, voices calling out, the crackle of walkie talkies and increasingly ominous occurrences built the sense of dread so perfectly that I would almost classify this as lite psychological horror.

Grady is the perfect unreliable narrator, as you lose all sense of whether he's seeing and hearing things or if it's real, which only increases as his insomnia and drinking affect his perception. The residents of Amberley were written so well that I almost felt like I was in Grady's shoes, which was quite an unpleasant and claustrophobic place to be!

Alice Feeney has officially scared the bejeebers out of me with this one. She nailed the atmosphere and characters so well, and I could visualize the whole story so vividly in my mind like a movie. The denouement lost a little bit of its zing for me with an arrangement I couldn't quite buy into, but the big twist preceding it and the foreshadowing for the ending were so delicious!

Feeney has written an excellent book and I highly recommend it to those who like a pervasively creepy, ominous, psychological suspense story that creatively examines the power dynamic between men and women.

Author Grady Green is eager to share news with his wife, Abby. He’s on the phone with her, as she’s driving home, when he hears her slam on her breaks.

Then-he hears her get out of the car.

Then-he hears nothing.

Grady eventually finds Abby’s car by a cliff. The driver’s side door is still open but Abby is nowhere to be found.

A year later, Grady is en route to a remote Scottish island to help get back on track. But this one woman on the ferry to the island looks eerily like Abby…

Imagine driving on a road with a blanket like fog around you. This fog gives you a feeling you just can’t shake. And that road—oh, does it have some twists.

That’s how I would describe listening to this book and what a deliciously delightful journey! Alice Feeney’s latest thriller (my new favorite book by her!) is both incredibly clever and thought-provoking—I was thinking about it for a long time after I finished. The dual POV of the book is exquisitely narrated by @richardcarmitage and @twopencemiddleton.

Start your new year off right: Beautiful Ugly is available on January 14, 2025.

Colleen Chi-Girl on GoodReads
Dec 20, 2024
Bookshelves: 2024, audio, crime-mysteries, netgalley, thrillers, scotland, women-centered
**** Stars
Publisher's Intro: Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life. Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.

A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible: a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

MY REVIEW:
I enjoyed this novel narrated by the wonderful Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton. It involves a happily married couple Abby and Grady, when one dark evening, the lovely wife, Abby, stops her car to help someone...and goes missing.

I really enjoyed the setting of the remote Scottish isle and felt Feeney wrote a very good, suspenseful novel. Firstly, the mystery is interesting, the secondary characters are unique and interesting as well, and finally, the thriller is a just a good one with surprises and twists and turns. Most of the time, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in 2 days. I rated this 🌟 4 stars.

Here's my only con: The husband, Grady Green... is the biggest downer unfortunately. He pouts and complains, and whines so frequently that it was simply annoying. (I actually rolled my eyes throughout the audio and yelled, “Stop whining!!” )

Nonetheless, I highly recommend this fun and unique novel. Thanks so much to the publisher, author and NetGalley for my advanced copy. The review is my own.

A decent thriller, full of twist after twist, though pretty farfetched in plot. I listened to the audiobook which kept my attention well. The narrators were pleasant and the few sound effects thrown in were enjoyable. The way the characters were tied together seemed disjointed, a bit too unbelievable to work. But its worth a listen for a few hours of entertainment. My thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book is dark for Alice Feeney, it draws you in softly like the mists on this remote Scottish isle. It starts with a writer, Grady Green, phoning his wife while she is driving home. She slams on the brakes and gets out of the car despite his protests, and then disappears into the night. A year later, Grady is still mired in grief and not able to write, so his publisher sends him to a remote island to retreat and get his act together. The Isle of Amberly is the character who stole the story, it's eerie and mysterious, things keep appearing that are impossible and you can only go on or off the island during low tide. If you enjoy slow burn, atmospheric thrillers you will inhale this story!

The audiobook was very well done, with dual narration by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton, and sound effects that pull you even further into its hold.

Alice Feeney delivers yet another brilliantly twisted tale in Beautiful Ugly, a suspenseful story that will keep you guessing until the final page. The story follows Grady Green, a struggling author whose wife mysteriously vanishes one night during a phone call with him. Stricken by grief and plagued by writer’s block, Grady retreats to a remote Scottish island to reignite his creativity. However, the island seems to hold secrets of its own, and Grady’s grasp on reality begins to blur as he repeatedly catches glimpses of his missing wife or perhaps just figments of his unraveling imagination.

The atmospheric setting of the Scottish island is richly described, creating an eerie backdrop that mirrors Grady’s inner turmoil. Feeney masterfully crafts a story where nothing is as it seems, pulling readers into a labyrinth of uncertainty and suspense.

I experienced Beautiful Ugly as an audiobook, and the narration elevated the story even further. The narrator was perfectly selected, bringing the characters and the tension to life with impeccable delivery.

A huge thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing the advanced audiobook. This is a must-read (or must-listen!) for fans of psychological thrillers and Alice Feeney’s signature twists. Highly recommended!

Another Alice Feeney book that is full of twists, surprises and difficult to review without giving away too much of the story!!

I will say this is very twisted and the ending was diabolical. If you are a fan of Feeney this one will not disappoint, in fact I think she kicked it up a notch.

Well done!! The audiobook had dual narration and the sound of the ocean was a nice touch, great listen.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

5 ⭐️ .

Grady Green calls his wife to share exciting news. After his wife answers, she slams on the breaks, as she sees something on the street. She leaves the car to check on the object and never returns to the call. Grady finds her car, but does not find his wife.

After a year of grief and not being able to write, his publisher sends him to a remote island to write. Weird stuff starts to happen, and frankly, at this point, I should’ve put the book down and not finished it. It was so far fetched and weird. I kept hoping for some sort of twist. For something to make sense. This book was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was given an advanced copy of the audiobook on NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t see the twists and turns coming, but I loved the decisions the author made with the story. The audiobook version was even more immersive with the sound effects, etc. included in the narration. Would definitely recommend for others, just don’t assume you’ll be able to figure it all out on your own before the story fills you in!

A writer’s wife, Abby, disappears, and he’s now unable to write any new books. When his publisher offers her cabin on a remote island, he jumps at the chance for a change of scenery, but things aren’t what they seem!
The audio book was quite a production with ringing bells and phone calls. Very nicely done! The book is very suspenseful, and the islanders give a creepy vibe. So it’s certainly a slow burn thriller!

Overall, I didn’t find the story too unusual. There was heavy foreshadowing with Abby’s work in domestic violence that pretty much let me know what was to come. The main character was extremely unlikeable with little depth and only ego that seemed to drive him. I liked how the story tied up nicely at the end!

Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.

Grady Green, the newest New York Times best selling author, is about to have his life completely change. On the night he gets this amazing news, his wife disappears while he is on the phone with her. A year later, he still hasn’t gotten any more answers to her disappearance.

When he has to opportunity visit a small Scottish Island, home to one of his favorite late authors, he accepts, in hopes of getting his life back together and getting inspiration for his next great novel. However, nothing on the island is what it seems and the locals are strange enough and made me question everything.

Feeney gave twist after twist in this book all of which caught me so off guard and made my jaw drop.

The audio, narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton, was very well done. With their voices, they both added to the emotions of the story enhancing the reading experience. There was also music and sound effects that added to the atmosphere of the novel.

WHAT THE??? Almost every chapter had my jaw on the ground. The multiple twists had me SHOOK! And the ending was truly CHEFS KISS!

This novel centers around Grady Green, a newly minted NYT Best Selling author. He calls his wife in the car to give her the good news. During the conversation, the car crashes. He drives to the scene minutes away, and the car is there, but not his wife. The year that follows is one of depression for Grady. His wife still hasn't appeared. His agent offers him a place to write on an island in Scotland. Strange things begin to happen, and he spots a woman who is the spitting image of his wife. This book kept my attention through the quirky characters and twists and turns. I do think that Feeney jumped the shark with the ending.

First, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this ALC for review.
Unfortunately, I did not like this book. A twist isn't a twist if the entire premise of the story is based off a potentially unreliable narrator and the story is filled with lies. That doesn't give the reader the opportunity to solve the mystery or even make educated guesses.
As with all fiction, I believe you need to suspend your disbelief at least a little bit...however, the end of this book required much more than that for me...like, what actually just happened??
Aside from the above, I liked the premise of this book, it sounded intriguing enough that I jumped in almost immediately after being approved for the arc. The middle 70% of the book felt repetitive and drawn out for me which caused the pacing to lag. Also, if I had to hear him ruminate one more time about whether or not he just saw his dead wife, I might have gone crazy right along with him.
To wrap up, the narrators did a wonderful job and I loved the production of the audiobook. The introduction of the sound of waves, ringing phones, etc added a nice touch. If you are a mystery/thriller reader that enjoys an unreliable narrator, this book would most likely definitely be for you.

Alice Feeney has written some books that I very much enjoyed, unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me.

A best-selling author, plagued by the disappearance of his wife a year prior, takes his literary agent's advice and stays on a remote Scottish island with a very small population to find peace while he writes his next great novel that he just can't get motivated to write. As soon as he arrives on the island, Grady Green feels like things are not quite right. The longer he spends on the island, the more he learns about the residents and the more he begins to question reality. When he starts seeing his wife in numerous places, he begins to question his sanity. Is he losing his mind with grief? Or is there more at play?

Alice Feeney knows how to weave a story with twists and multiple character arcs coming together at the end, that is for sure. While Beautiful/Ugly will not be my favorite novel by her, it was absolutely still worth the read! As far as characters, in my honest opinion, I had a hard time finding any of them to be likeable, and so as the story progressed, I wasn't invested in anyone specifically. I really felt the build-up in the first half of the novel was leading to a great ending, but I was disappointed by the rush of information at the end that left me trying to connect dots with not much story left.

Still, Feeney continues to be a strong writer, and her stories are always worth a read. While I may not always enjoy the characters, the pace, or the way things are laid out, the stories always hold my interest throughout, so I will continue to recommend her books!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook! The audio version of this novel was outstanding, especially with the addition of the sound effects included that gave it a little extra and the great narration provided by both narrators.

Half way through this book, I was ready to give it 4 stars. It all went downhill from there. The story was a bit hard to follow, and the writing style wasn’t my favorite. The twist at the end was a choice I would never put into a book, and it lost me. I would not recommend personally, but some people enjoyed it!

I loved Daisy Darker, so I knew I would enjoy Beautiful Ugly. I was expecting "a twist" most of the book based on Feeney's previous book, however I did enjoy it. I love her world building on the small village and all its eccentricities.

This... isn't good. You know the one episode of Bob's Burgers with the dinner theater? "It's a twist!" "No. It's a lie. A lie is not a twist"
Grady was awful the whole time and its hard to sympathize with anyone in this book. Its so draining.

This was my first Alice Feeney book, and I really enjoyed it. No, I did not expect the twist, so that was a surprise, but I have since read that the writer is known for the twists in her books. Overall it was a well written book, it kept me interested. I listened to the audio version and I couldn't stop listening; partly because of the story and partly because of the narrator. Mr Armitage has a voice smooth as silk!
I will definitely recommend this book, both paper and audio versions, to the library patrons.

Beautiful Ugly begins with author Grady Green anxiously waiting for his wife Abby to get home. His novel has just been declared a bestseller, and he can’t wait to celebrate with her. But when he calls Abby to check on her progress, he hears her slam on her brakes and leave the car…and nothing else. Abby has disappeared, leaving her car abandoned on the cliffside. Fast forward a year, and Grady is still grief-stricken and struggling to write his next book. At the suggestion of his agent, he travels to a small Scottish island, where he hopes to get his life back on track – and then he sees a woman who looks just like Abby…

Whenever I read a book by Alice Feeney, I always think about how much pressure she must be under. I mean, just imagine being known in the literary world as the “Queen of Twists” and having to live up to that expectation with every book you write. I will say that she got me again with this book’s major twist, but only because, in my opinion, she made a few unfair moves to make it work this time around.

Don’t get me wrong, I did still enjoy Beautiful Ugly. I’ve declared my love for a Scottish island setting before; there’s just something so moody, so brooding and bleak and isolated, about a Scottish island that provides such rich, vivid atmosphere and adds so much to a story. In the case of this book, the inhabitants of the island are just as mysterious as the place itself. Something just feels kind of off from the moment Grady arrives, and that feeling of foreboding only increases as the book progresses. The entire book is constructed to keep the reader off-balance, to make us question Grady’s sanity and our own. Feeney is very, very good at telling this type of story.

That said, though, the pacing, while deliberate, is a bit unbalanced. I wanted more of the island’s history to be integrated throughout, rather than packed in at the end. The conclusion was too convoluted, and I also felt like the plot itself was maybe a bit too reminiscent of a few other popular recent novels; it didn’t feel entirely unique or fresh. While I do think Beautiful Ugly will satisfy most fans of Feeney, for me, it wasn’t her best or her most interesting examination of marriage: Rock Paper Scissors still wins both of those categories in my book.

I highly recommend the audio version of Beautiful Ugly. It’s masterfully read by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton, and the production includes sound effects and music that make for an immersive, enhanced listening experience. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the early listening opportunity.